At Playle & Partners, our commitment to sustainable practices is embedded in both our business operations and the services we provide. With over 70 years of experience as a leading construction consultancy, we have witnessed significant advancements in our understanding of the profound impact that the built environment has on our planet. This knowledge drives our dedication to sustainable solutions that address the needs of our Clients today, while safeguarding the wellbeing of future generations.
Our engagement with sustainable practices is comprehensive, encompassing every phase of the construction process. From the initial planning and design stages to the final project completion, we aim to acknowledge and consider sustainability at every step and question ‘what is the impact of this development?’. By integrating green technologies, promoting energy efficiency and adhering to high environmental standards, we strive to create buildings that are low impact on the environment, but high achieving for the communities they serve. At Playle & Partners, we are proud to be doing our part to encourage sustainable construction in the industry.
Embracing change – sustainability in Practice
For the second quarter of our 70th year, Playle & Partners have been proudly promoting all things sustainable.
As a company, we have firmly embedded sustainability into our business practices, demonstrating that even as an SME, we are deeply committed to eco-friendly and sustainable business practices.
We are guided in our endeavors by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals are the backbone of our ethos and guide everything we do as a company.
We have taken significant steps to ensure our operations reflect our commitment to sustainability. All the consumables used in our office are sourced sustainably, and we have successfully eliminated single-use plastics from our practice. We are also committed to reducing carbon emissions – on a quarterly basis we offset any carbon emissions associated with the daily running of the business through donations to worthwhile ventures utilising a carbon emissions calculator. A breakdown of our carbon reduction pledge can be found on our website here: Environmental Policy
Additionally, we are enhancing our sustainability credentials by working towards ISO 14001 certification. This internationally recognised standard for environmental management will further solidify our commitment to sustainability, ensuring that our environmental impact is minimised and our sustainable practices are continuously improved.
Senior Associate Charlie Hobson and Practice Manager Gina Blackburn give their thoughts below on the steps we have taken to enhance sustainability at Playle & Partners.
Charlie Hobson (Senior Associate Partner / Project Manager):
“We’ve always been passionate about promoting sustainable practices. A few years back, I came across the UN Sustainable Development Goals and thought they would be great guide for our company ethos. I’m really happy to say that since then, we’ve embraced this approach and now try to incorporate its spirit into everything we do.
As part of our approach our Practice Manager Gina Blackburn reviews and continuously improves our business practices to provide our staff with sustainable products that reduce our environmental impact on the planet. Where these cannot be mitigated we offset our carbon footprint using a variety of means”
Gina Blackburn (Practice Manager):
“As part of the businesses ongoing commitment to reducing its impact on the environment, I’m proud spearhead the initiative to ensure it operates in an eco-nomically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. The objectives are to minimise adverse impacts the company’s activities will have on the environment. It is important that all employees are made aware of these objectives. Every employee has a part to play in reducing the company’s impact on the environment from the inception of a project through to completion, as well as the company reducing wastage of materials and energy in the office. We have a number of in-house initiatives already in place and are always looking for new and innovative ways to have a positive impact on the environment.”
Working towards a better future – our work with Net Zero Schemes
As part of our commitment to sustainability, Playle & Partners is proud to be working on several ambitious projects that exemplify cutting-edge environmental standards. Our current endeavors include schemes that aim for net zero carbon in operation, BREEAM Outstanding and potential Passivhaus certification.
One of our notable achievements includes the completion of school projects for Richmond, which have attained BREEAM Excellent status. Additionally, we have recently embarked on the development of a new build block for a Hertfordshire school, designed to be net zero carbon in operation. This project exemplifies our dedication to creating environmentally responsible educational facilities.
Moreover, we are excited to be designing and managing the development of a new all-through SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) school for the London Boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth. This project is set to achieve both net zero carbon in operation and BREEAM Outstanding certification, underscoring our commitment to delivering top-tier sustainable and inclusive educational environments.
These projects reflect our dedication to sustainable development and our efforts to contribute positively to the environment while providing exceptional facilities for the communities we serve. We look forward to continuing to lead in sustainable design and construction, setting new benchmarks for environmental excellence in the industry.
Our Net Zero Carbon school expansion project for Mandeville Primary School in Hertfordshire will support the education of additional children in the area in a sustainable way. The new block is Net Zero Carbon in Operation – meaning no fossil fuels will be used to run it; and the amount of carbon emissions associated with the building will be zero.
Read our article about the development via the link below:
Charities we are supporting this quarter
For the second quarter of this year, our practice has voted to support the following charities and initiatives:
Roots4Life
Roots4Life are a local charity based only a mile from our office in Sidcup. Their aim is to equip people with the tools to live more healthily and sustainably. The centre is situated on an 8.6 acre site, which is home to a teaching kitchen, growing beds, orchard, trim trail, wildflower meadow and wildlife pond.
Since opening in April 2021, Roots4Life have welcomed over 6,000 visitors to their site including for gardening sessions, horticultural therapy, free weekly Community Pantry using surplus food donated from supermarkets and a free monthly Community Meal.
To support this brilliant charity, click on the link below:
Cleaning Up Local Greenspaces
As part of our 70th anniversary and our commitment to our local area, we have been cleaning up our greenspaces, with organised litter picks and planting.
Our team have been caring and generous with their time, collecting and removing rubbish at local sites in Bexley, including Waring Place, Longlands Recreation Ground and Sidcup Place.
Recycling Old Technology
People discard 155,000 tonnes of electricals every year, instead of reusing or recycling them. That creates e-waste – and that poses a major threat to the environment and to human health.
We’re excited to announce our collaboration with NSM Services as our IT recycling partner. Together, we’re ensuring that 0% of our old computers and electrical waste end up in landfills.
Our Practice has collected old phones, tablets, laptops and other electricals from staff to be sent to NSM – a local Bexley based IT company – to be recycled. Technology uses materials and minerals which are sought after and cause damage to the planet and communities through excessive mining. Recycling technology we no longer use means the components can be reused in new products, reducing the environmental impact. NSM’s partner company aim to refurbish and remarket equipment where possible, which includes charitable contributions to support environmental initiatives, including donating PCs to emerging and developing nations. Our provider is also ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System accredited.
Find out how to recycle your electricals below:
How to recycle electronics – Recycling near me – Recycle Your Electricals